Don't Let Go
by Starian Princess
Summary: Yuya has been swept away in a time warp, sending her years into the future. But Kyo’s not just going to stand around and watch. It’s up to him now along with Yukimura, Kyoshiro and the others to get her back.
1. Chapter 1: I'll Find You

**Don't Let Go  
****By Starian Princess**

_Yuya has been swept away in a time warp, sending her years into the future. With no memories of her past and how she got there to begin with, she finds herself adapting to a new life. But Kyo's not just going to stand around and watch. It's up to him now along with Yukimura, Kyoshiro and others to get her back._

* * *

Chapter 1 - I'll Find You

The piercing light of the new day's sunshine made her eyes flicker open. She could hear birds chirping outside her windowsill and for some reason that made her smile. Today would be a beautiful day.

She rolled off her futon, stretching her arms wide and giving a big yawn. Her vibrant green eyes met her reflection in the large vanity mirror resting beside her newly-pressed uniform, and she furrowed her brow. Was she forgetting to do something important?

"Yuya-chan!" A shrill voice sounded outside her door. Oh right; cooking duty. Akane was going to skin her alive, she was more than certain.

She groaned. What time was it? She took a quick glance at the alarm clock sitting beside her head and she grimaced. 7:10. _Not good_.

"Yuya-chan!" There it was again; her death sentence. It always made her wonder if perhaps her friend had swallowed a microphone when she was kid. That girl, despite the fact that she was shorter than Yuya- and apparently looked timid even-, had one hell of a voice and temper.

She was taking her time too much now, for a pounding had started on her door.

'In a few days, that old rickety thing's going to break… again.'

She sighed. "Kane-chan, I'm coming! I'm coming already!"

There was an utterly dramatic sigh of relief on the other side as it had obviously been done on purpose to get her attention. "Oh, and I thought that you had finally gone and died."

She rolled her eyes. A beautiful day_ indeed_.

* * *

There was a growl, yes, a feral growl. And it didn't take a genius to know that Onime no Kyo was pissed,_very pissed_.

"Kyo-san, you have to be patient. We're almost there." Yukimura didn't seem to mind at all. He was in an annoyingly playful mood today, it would seem.

"Hn." And it was that that strikingly made the red-haired demon stop his animalistic behavior of frustration.

It was a marvel that Kyo could actually even be so patient, Saizo pondered as he watched the thousand man slayer from the corner of his eye. 'Considering, of course, where we're headed.'

But the reason why they were going there was probably reason enough. Kyo absolutely hated the fact when his _possessions_ were taken from him.

* * *

"I owe you one, Kane-chan." She smiled cheerily as they walked in casual strides towards the school building. After all, she _had_ gotten out of doing kitchen duty.

"Hmph. You owe me more than a million, Yuya." And her brunette friend had pouted. It was true though. She did owe Akane so much more. It had all started with that fateful day about a month ago.

* * *

"We're here!" Yukimura seemed to have gotten even more chipper than usual. Perhaps it was because he had highly enjoyed making the demon-eyed slayer twitch uncontrollably. Or maybe because, in a way, he wanted to get this over and done with as well.

They were on a mission; a mission that involved retrieving something very precious. And as Saizo looked at his companions, he noted that these men were probably as worried as Kyo was about getting it back. No, getting_her_ back.

* * *

"I've been expecting you all." It was almost like a thin strand of air, her voice. It highly irritated him. And the man standing behind her wasn't helping either.

"Kyo." The nuisance tilted his head in greeting. But he was bent on ignoring _him_ as much as possible.

"Ah, Kyoshiro-san, so this is where you've been hiding all this time. I can't say that I'm surprised." Yukimura had interjected and he found himself smirking in satisfaction. The carefree ninja was actually fun having around after all.

"Yukimura-san, I have certainly _not_ been hiding, if that is how you have perceived the situation. I merely stopped by, not a few moments ago in fact, just as the rest of you are here." It wasn't much of a reaction but seeing the Mibu ticked, that was a picture-perfect moment in his book.

"So I can presume that you are here for the same reason as us, Kyoshiro-san?" He stopped and turned to stare at the former medicine man. Was he really here for the same purpose? Did he really care _that_ much?

"Of course." The answer was simple enough but it had made his blood boil. He was just about to retort when Sakuya chose that time to clear her throat and get everyone's attention. How he wanted to wring her neck too, that woman.

"Kyoshiro will be of very much help if he partakes in this operation, Yukimura-san. I suggest you take him along."

What were they getting at? There was just no way he would be subjected to taking that man with him. How could he honestly even care what happened to her? Where had _he_ been when she was taken away?

Kyo could somehow understand everyone else's situation. Benitora cared. He'd trailed after the girl ever since they had first met. Akira cared. He had deliberately told him that he had just wanted to make up for all that he had done. Yukimura cared. The ever-smiling Sanada, he could tell, was probably just as frustrated as he was for not being able to protect the girl. Sasuke cared. Obviously, the little ninja boy misses his _nee-chan. _And even Migeira cared. Well, at least he'd cared enough to connote that since she had been sent to some different timeline, it would greatly affect the balance of the world.

And he, Demon Eyes Kyo- the thousand man slayer known for his cunning-bordering-ruthless behavior? He frowned. Of course he cared. Period.

But did Kyoshiro care? After getting their rightful bodies back, did he still hold those few memories with her that close to heart? The thought made him sick. If the woman knew, would she have accepted the Mibu rather than him? He decided that he didn't want to be around for the answer. The best thing to do then was to keep that _bastard _from coming with them.

Wait, where were they going?

In light of the unspoken question dangling in the air, Sakuya chose to speak again.

"I have found a way to send you all to where she is."

"That's good news, Sakuya-san." It was Yukimura again as well who had answered.

"But there is a grave problem." Ah, however there is always a 'but'.

"And what might that be?" Everyone except Yukimura and Kyoshiro turned to him. No one had expected Kyo to say anything.

"After you get to the particular destination, you will only have a limited amount of time until you return. And so you should have been able to locate her and bring her back to the meeting place I will set before that given date."

"Or else?" He gritted out.

"Or else all of you will end up being lost in that world as well. The rescue will have been for nothing."

The odds were high, but everyone seemed to resolve that they could beat them. They were going to bring her back.

'Shiina Yuya, I _will_ find you.'

**-TBC-**


	2. Chapter 2: Wait For Me

**Don't Let Go  
****By Starian Princess**

Chapter 2- Wait For Me

_A month ago…_

It had all finally ended; the fight against Nobunaga as well as the search for his body. He stretched his arm out, absorbing the feel of being under his own skin once more; how he had dreamt of such a sensation. And now, he was fully back to being who he was and always would be; Onime no Kyo- the red eyed slayer of a thousand men feared by so many.

He looked to his right and smirked as crystal-blue orbs met his fiery ones in turn. His other half was standing not even a meter away. He licked his lips in satisfaction. Another thing he had always been looking forward to was his battle against this man; the man who had sealed him away in his very own body- Mibu Kyoshiro.

He was just about to voice out his musings when a sudden shriek echoed around them. Everyone looked up frantically, each of them wondering if one of them was missing. And apparently, they didn't need to wait long.

"Yuya-han!" Kyo gritted his teeth, finally locating what the Tokugawa had seen. The bounty huntress was hanging on to a large tree hunk, dangling on for dear life and looking even more hysterical than how he'd ever seen her before. Slowly, the others- even Yukimura's- expression had turned just as frenzied as they realized what was pulling her in.

A massive black hole was swirling in midair, sucking everything remotely close to it and that included the poor girl. How she had gotten there to begin with, no one knew. He, for one, didn't care anymore. All he knew was that he had to get there in time, appearances be damned. He was not going to lose her.

Her eyes focused on him then, silently pleading that he reach her. And that only served to fuel him more; she was counting on him.

Absently, he heard Yukimura yelling for him to wait for the rest. And he growled. She was getting further away as the tree's roots could no longer hold it down; due to the immense force the cyclone was creating.

Finally though, he was only a few paces away. He could feel himself getting lifted off the ground slightly and he cursed under his breath. The armor he was wearing could only do so much. Without losing a beat, he grabbed on to the branch of another tree with more leverage and made his way up.

He was now just about an arm's length away from her.

"K-Kyo!" She looked so helpless that he almost winced at the sight. How badly he wanted to protect her then.

"Give me your hand." He tried to sound as calm as possible as he reached out, waiting for her to do the same.

She nodded, the distinct fear of what was to happen if she couldn't get a hold of him turning her pale. And yet still she tried hard, her own arm getting dragged away but still struggling to touch his. For a few tries, their fingers had merely brushed against each other and he could see the hope falling from her face. No, she just couldn't give up.

"You idiot! Don't you dare think of letting go." He pushed himself, using his legs to give himself some leeway. And at last, he was able to take hold of her cold limp hand.

Stronger gusts of wind signaled that the gap was getting smaller but was sucking in even faster than before. Kyo watched as her ribbon flew into it, her golden-like strands whipping around them. For some reason, the hole was coming closer as well.

For a brief pause in time, he noticed a lone tear going down her cheek. He hadn't the time to question her though as abruptly, her hand slid off his. His eyes widened; for the first time in his life, Onime no Kyo felt absolute fear.

"What are you doing?" His voice trembled as he watched her smile at him. By the gods, the blasted girl was smiling! How could she in this situation?

"Kyo, this is something I have to do." Her voice was trembling as well, her eyes glistening with even more tears and she brushed them off in haste. At the final moment, she had wanted to look tough.

He couldn't speak; cries from the others echoing in his head as he watched her. His servant, his possession, this woman who had taken from him something he never knew he had- his heart- with her as she jumped off the trunk she had been hanging on to and fell into the endless dark pit that had vanished as soon as it came.

* * *

"Yuya, are you alright?" Emerald met violet.

"Hmm… yeah, I'm fine. I just… remembered something, I think." She scratched her head and flashed her friend a smile.

"You're acting a bit odd today, aren't you?" Akane whistled low and grinned as she pulled on to the blonde's notebook, which was hanging conveniently off the table for her to snatch.

"Who's Kyo?" She blinked as she watched the girl flip the page up for her to see where she herself had apparently written the name about ten times. Where had she heard that name before to begin with?

"What? Ah, uhm… Kane-chan, in truth, I don't know." The brunette gave her a once over, her eyes tightening into little slits- an expression Yuya thought that made her look so much like the detectives they'd watched on TV. She returned the look with one of her own; a small innocent pout capable of making even the mightiest fall.

It could always work on her friend, for she gave up then with a sigh as the homeroom teacher came in at the same time; signaling the start of classes for the day.

* * *

"Are you all ready?" She had probably asked that question about a million times already. Kyo frowned. He couldn't take much more of this.

Yukimura managed out another smile and answered for all of them, "Yes, we're all very much ready Sakuya-san. Please, there is no need to worry. We'll all be back just in time for the given date, you'll see."

Sakuya nodded albeit quite wary still, but she began her chant anyway. Small crystal-shaped lights hovered around them as the entire group began to lift up in air. They all hitched their breathing. Somehow, he was certain that there was unease flying around them.

"Kyo-han, I think I'm getting sick." That was Benitora, ever the ice-breaker and he watched as everyone's tension faded a notch. He would have spared a smile.

Unbeknownst the rest though, Mibu Kyoshiro stared dead on, his eyes shimmering in determination for Kyo wasn't the only one looking to find the cheery bounty huntress that completed their little group.

'Wait for me, Yuya.'

**-TBC-**


	3. Chapter 3: Help Me

**Don't Let Go  
****By Starian Princess**

Chapter 3- Help Me

"Yuya, what are you thinking about now?" She turned to stare at her friend curiously. What had prompted her to ask such a question? Akane never asked random things, that was_her_ job. Nevertheless, she answered truthfully to avoid further inquiring.

"I'm thinking about that person… you know; the one whose name is in my notebook."

"Kyo-san? Ah, him. But you said you didn't know who he was."

"I don't. It's just that I must have been in a daze or something, to have written his name so many times. Ne, Kane-chan, why are you suddenly asking about this?" Her friend just smiled.

"You look as if you're about to faint or something. You don't usually let things get to you so I was just wondering." And to this, she in turn gave a wide smile.

"Thanks Kane-chan, for worrying about me."

"You idiot, that's what friends are for."

* * *

"Where do you suppose we are?" He rubbed his head. Indeed, the same question was running through his mind. Everyone was looking around in awe; there were trees but not as much to say that they were in a forest. There were mountains but somehow something was distinctly lacking. He turned around to find everyone shifting their attention to the supposed town below. It certainly didn't look like a normal town because for one thing, there were gigantic tombstones everywhere. He vaguely remembered seeing the same tombstones when he had fought with Nobunaga. So this was where Yuya had gone to.

"Do you think that Yuya-han is there, Kyo-han?" He looked to Benitora with his trademark smirk.

"There's only one way to find out of course."

"Kyo, we shouldn't too hasty. Yuya could be anywhere. Maybe we should split up into smaller groups and-"

"And what? We don't have a means of communication now, do we?" The bastard was being a pain as usual. What did he expect? To find Yuya before anyone else then take her back? He'd drop-dead before that happened.

Kyoshiro was glaring in his direction and this only fueled his ego.

"Kyo-san, Kyoshiro-san, now you shouldn't be arguing. Remember we have a date to meet so we must put our heads together to find Yuya-san. She's counting on us ne?" Yukimura smiled as that seemed to hit the right spot. The two swordsmen immediately stopped glaring each other down and resumed looking at the town they were headed to.

"I think that we should all stay together. There's no telling what kind of things we'll find in this world." Migeira was leading the group, closely followed by Akira and Saizo. Yukimura stood beside Sasuke while Benitora trailed behind along side Kyoshiro. And then there was Kyo, who stood at the very back. To anyone who didn't know who they were, they would have looked like a normal class on a morning field trip- albeit looking quite different though, in their unusual attire. But they would learn soon enough.

* * *

"Are you going to stop by the dojo today?" Yuya paused as Akane opened the door to the compound.

"Yeah, I guess I will. You'll come with me too, won't you?" Akane smiled mischievously.

"Of course! I'd never give up a chance to be able to beat you at sparring." The same twinkling look grazed her emerald eyes and Yuya nodded.

"I'll race you there then." And with that, the two girls ran off.

After a few minutes of taking turns left and right, they stopped into front of an older-looking compound. The sounds of clapping could be heard as wood hit wood, and the sounds of padding resounded through the walls as Yuya could make out some fancy footwork happening behind the doors. It had always been music to her ears; she loved the sound of fighting- it was rather sadistic in a sense but it calmed her. Of course the clanking of real swords made her feel even more at home. For some reason though, she didn't know where she had gotten the fetish. It simply seemed like she had been born with it.

For years, it had been a mystery. Even if Akane never asked, even if no one ever asked, it had always remained a question in her mind. Who was she really? Where did she come from? And why did she have all these dreams at night? They were hardly that disturbing. Most were about her, running in a forest, holding what looked to be a revolver in her hand, and she would be wearing a kimono. The setting no doubt was sometime in the past. Then in some dreams, she would be joined by a group of people. There was a man with a striped bandana on his head and a very playful smile, a man with dark hair and a calming voice, a child with silver-gray hair and intense golden eyes… but what would captivate her most was the man standing beside her. He had dark hair too and a cynical grin, eyes so blood-red she always felt herself getting lost in them. But she didn't know these people, so how could she be dreaming about them?

In the very depth of her heart though, she was certain she had met him before. She had met this man with a dark look around him, she had craved for him, wanted him there with her… even if she didn't know who he was. Inside her heart, she knew she was looking for him; a man who looked as if he were a… demon.

"Kyo."

* * *

He jerked his head. He was sure he had heard it; her voice, somewhere out there she was calling for him. He could sense it, practically taste her on the tip of his tongue, he could feel her in his arms. If he could just reached out-

"Kyo, what's wrong?" He turned to stare blankly at Yukimura, who was looking at him curiously. "You look like you were daydreaming."

Damn, how annoying this ninja was. The moment was broken. The connection was broken.

"It was Yuya, wasn't it?"

They all turned to Kyoshiro, who had crossed his arms against his chest and was leaning against a tree.

Kyo remained silent, watching his nemesis fix him with an almost amused smile, looking as if he should know what Kyo was thinking; what he had just heard. It was unnerving and Kyo's frown deepened. He absolutely hated the Mibu at that very moment, more than any other.

"I heard it, too."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, it was Yuya. Kyo, you were a part of me and since you are somehow connected to her, I am as well. I heard her voice."

He didn't know what to make of the situation. So Kyoshiro could hear her in his thoughts? That bastard… Yuya was trying to communicate with _him_not with Kyoshiro, and the idiot thought that he could just perceive those calls as his own? He had to get away from him right now.

"Kyo, where are you going?" He heard Akira's question as he stalked passed them all, but did not bother to answer. He could still feel her and if he listened hard enough-

_"Help me!" _He broke into a run. That was her scream. She needed his help. He didn't know exactly where she was but he could hear her, feel her pulling him closer. That would lead him to her. All he had to do was follow her aura, follow the mere thought of her thinking of him. He would find her, before that Mibu even got a chance to see her. Shiina Yuya was his.

**-TBC-**


End file.
